Nearly two dozen former Clearfield Area High School and Curwensville Area High School athletes are on college rosters for the fall season that swings into high gear this weekend.
Heading Gant’s list are 13 football players in NCAA’s three divisions.
Also competing will be six women’s soccer players on teams in the three divisions, two men’s golfers on Division III teams and one cross country runner on a Division I squad.
FOOTBALL
BOSTON, Mass. — Sophomore Christian Lezzer (Clearfield) will begin his second season for Boston College as the backup free safety to senior Justin Simmons and a member of the special teams after seeing action as a linebacker and special teamer last fall.
The 6-0, 215-pounder appeared in eight games with one solo tackle and one assist.
His first play resulted in a sack for a nine-yard loss against Southern Cal in a nationally-televised game.
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POUGHKEEPSKIE, N.Y. — Sophomore Hunter Keith (Clearfield) is an offensive lineman for the Marist Red Foxes.
The 6-2, 298-pounder did not get into any games as a freshman.
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CLARION — Senior Eric White (Clearfield) will be handling the longsnapping job on the Clarion punt, field goal and extra point units for the fourth consecutive year.
He is a 6-2, 205-pounder with 11 tackles, including two solo stops, in 31 games on the Golden Eagle special units.
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SLIPPERY ROCK — Redshirt senior Derek Morgan (Clearfield) returns for his third season in the Slippery Rock secondary after sitting out the 2014 campaign because of a knee injury.
In 23 games as a redshirt freshman and redshirt sophomore defensive back, Morgan accumulated 43 solo tackles and assisted on another 31.
The 5-11, 190-pounder picked off four passes, three in his second season, with 91 return yards. He also broke up nine passes.
The Rock begins the season ranked No. 25 in the American Football Coaches Association and Lindy’s Sports Division II polls. The Sporting News pegged The Rock No. 9.
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LOCK HAVEN — Senior Beau Swales (Clearfield) has rushed for 778 yards and piled up 1,996 all-purpose yards in three seasons as a running back and kickoff returner for Lock Haven.
He was the workhorse in the Bald Eagle rushing attack last year, getting the call 190 times and responding with 593 yards a two touchdowns in 11 games. He also hauled in 32 passes for 253 yards and two touchdowns and brought back 10 kickoffs for 209 yards.
The 6-0, 210-pounder’s career totals for 33 games include 44 receptions for 366 yards and 37 returns for 837 yards. He has scored seven touchdowns.
The Bald Eagles open the season against Clarion in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference crossover game under the Hubert Jack Field lights Thursday at 6:08 p.m.
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MILLERSVILLE — Redshirt sophomore Curtis Frye (Clearfield) will begin the season as a backup quarterback for Millersville following what was described on the Marauder website as a three-way open position battle in spring ball and fall camp.
The 6-0, 202-pounder is coming off a serious knee injury suffered in his first start as a redshirt freshman against nationally-ranked Bloomsburg in 2013 that also cost him the 2014 season.
Frye played in five games before winning the starting job and totaled 323 yards and one touchdown on 34 completions in 54 pass attempts.
He had a 63 percent completion percentage with two interceptions.
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BEAVER FALLS — Sophomore Austin Jacobson (Curwensville) and freshman Kyle Billings (Curwensville) are members of the Geneva Golden Tornado defense.
Jacobson, a 6-0, 195-pounder who got into one game last fall, is a safety while Billings, a 5-10, 170-pounder, is a linebacker.
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GREENVILLE — Freshman Dusty Maines (Clearfield) is a 5-9, 185-pound linebacker for the Thiel College Tomcats.
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HUNTINGDON — Sophomore Jon Janocko (Clearfield) is a vying for playing time on the Juniata College offensive line.
The 6-3, 270-pounder appeared in three games for the Eagles last season.
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WILLIAMSPORT — Sophomore Brad Stubbs (Curwensville) and freshman Nick Kovalick (Clearfield) are newcomers on the Lycoming College defense.
Stubbs, a transfer from Bloomsburg, is a 6-1, 282-pound tackle, while Kovalick is a 5-11, 225-pound linebacker.
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WORCESTER, Mass. — Freshman Spencer Herrington (Clearfield) is a punter/place-kicker candidate for the Worcester Polytechnical Institute team.
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MEN’S GOLF
GREENVILLE — Sophomore Jason Thorp (Curwensville) is one of three Thiel Tomcats selected by the eight head coaches for the Presidents’ Athletic Conference Players to Watch list.
Last year, he won the Penn State Behrend Invitational with a career-best 73 to lead the Tomcats to a second-place finish in the 12-team field.
Thorp tied for 21st among the 40 players in the PAC Fall Championships with an 89-86-166 at the New Castle Country Club.
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BRADFORD — Sophomore Brett Gardner (Curwensville) topped the Pitt-Bradford Panthers in two of their eight invitationals in 2014 with an 83 in the Hilbert (N.Y.) Invitational.
His 89 earned team medalist honors at the La Roche Invitational.
Gardner’s low round was an 80 on the second day of the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Championships at West Middlesex that gave him a 165 total and a tie for 14th place among the 45 entries.
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WOMEN’S SOCCER
LORETTO — Freshman forward/midfielder Heather Thorp (Curwensville) has yet to see action for St. Francis, which has been shut out three times after opening the season with a 1-1 tie against Pitt.
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CLARION — Sophomore Carlee Freeburg (Clearfield) has been switched from offense to defense after playing in 13 games at forward for Clarion last fall.
She was credited with five shots, including one on goal.
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ERIE — Sophomores McKenna Aleksivich (Clearfield) and Katie Powers (Clearfield) return for their second Penn State Behrend season and will be joined by freshman midfielder Tessa Munshower (Clearfield) as the Lions seek their fifth consecutive Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference title.
Aleksivich started in two of her 20 appearances with one shot, on goal, for the Lions as a freshman midfielder. She also might be utilized on defense this season.
Powers subbed on defense in 10 games.
Aleksivich and Powers both made the 2014-15 All-AMCC Academic Team.
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EDINBORO — Freshman Rachel Hale (Clearfield) is one the 10 defensive players on the Edinboro squad.
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WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
LORETTO — Junior Rebecca Johnson (Curwensville) has run 11 races for St. Francis the last two years.
Her best times are 20:58.55 for 5,000 meters, 23:28 for 6,000 meters and 19:51 for three miles.
